Do chickens get friendlier?

[Suburban Sprouts]

I'm a first time chicken owner... I got chicks via MPC in April and I handled them plenty and kept them inside until they were 7 weeks old (long story about the fence my DH was supposed to have done a long time ago....

) and now they have been outside for 3.5 weeks. Someone told me that chickens can be skittish and standoffish until they mature. Is this true? I really wanted a friendly backyard flock, but mine just freak out when I go in their yard and definitely have no interest in being held or pet...

 

[LarryPQ]

Depends on the breed, but all of mine go through a "THE TREAT-BRINGER IS SCARY!!!" phase.

They warm up after they start laying. Almost like the trauma of an egg needs comforting.

 

[Suburban Sprouts]

That's encouraging... I have a variety of breeds: 2 EE, 1 cuckoo maran (she is the nicest one of the bunch), 1 SLW, 1 RIR, 3 Silkies, 1 Australorp... Then I also have three chicks I hatched in May - Olive Eggers (BCM x Ameracauna) and one BCM who might be a boy...

 

[2DogsFarm]

Well maybe they'd warm up to you if you cut out the Diet Coke...all that caffeine.....

Seriously - give them time.
My girls were 1 in March and just now are acting like the friendly backyard flock I envisioned.
When I got them at 9wks they were all RUNAWAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!! from me.

 

[Suburban Sprouts]

Ha ha! I get so much flack for that avatar!! I was documenting my chicken experience and was taking weekly pics of my chicks. I wanted something to measure them against and since I am an open diet-coke addict, I always have a can around so it was the obvious choice!! Now people are always like, "What's with the diet coke??"

Ok, so the chances are good that my chickens will warm up to me in time. Thanks!

 

[mypeeps'n'me]

We have a new backyard flock (15 babies right now and my DH keeps sneaking in more) as well...we've been sitting in their pen at the end of the day with them. Seems as they get sleepy, they get friendlier!

We've even had them flutter up into our laps and on our shoulders!

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

Quote:
Our experience too, very funny wording!

 

[MaggieRae]

Yeah... Mine weren't 'skittish' while pullets, but they certainly weren't friendly. Now that they're laying, well, my australorp hen, Dora, she likes to ride on my shoe. She flaps her wings when I lift my foot and I wonder is she thinks she's flying. She stands up while my foot comes down and sits when my foot hits the ground. I have no idea why she rides my foot, but she seems to enjoy it.

Once they recognize you as the treat bringer, you'll be their best friend forever!!!

(For better or worse, that's for you to decide...)

 

[2DogsFarm]

One DC addict to another!

One of my prized posessions is a can of DC from China where they call it Coke Light
One side has the familiar logo in English - the other in Mandarin

Yeah, your hens will come around.
The secret to their greedy little hearts is treats.
Experiment until you find their "crack" - for my girls it's raisins.
They will claw their way over each other to get to a raisin.

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

From our little flock of 4 chickens, we learned they develop and morph a lot like people, only faster. So the difference between my child at one year and at 10 is kinda like the difference between my rooster last year and today.

I hope that helps.

Ours have morphed their pecking order, too, so the littlest one who used to have to sleep with us at night so she wouldn't be pecked to death, is now the bossiest one in charge of everybody. Also the Silkie Hen who went through a lot of pecking, she developed a sense of humor and drama, she's fine now, holds her own just fine, even starts trouble just to get chased and have a laugh.

Of our 4, only one doesn't seek a lap. But she'll put up with it. None have become flighty. Maybe some breeds are flightier, and luckily ours are more sociable than cats.